(Sularannh Kharus-Hay uth Barus degh Ar-Austinian)
The Most Honorable Knightly Order of the Crown and of the Divine Austinian
Of all the Knightly orders, the one looked to with the most respect and prestige is the Most Holy Order of the Crown Knights of Austinian. While the Daughter Siccara saw the need for an order of Healers and Protectors, and the Son Nadrik saw the need for an order of valiant and steady Warriors, it was the Father Austinian or decreed that no Knighthood would exist without the Temperance and Nobility to lead. So after the First Knighthood was borne to Siccara and for hers chosen the Shield of standard, and after the Second Knighthood was borne to Nadrik and for his chosen the Lance of standard, lastly the Father decreed the creation of a Third Knighthood to guide them all. For his standard he chose a symbol of righteous nobility, passed down from generation to generation. For his Knighthood came under the banner of the Crown.
The Order of the Crown became the highest and most selective of the three orders of the Knighthood of Gareth. Only the most noble and experienced Knights were to be allowed entrance therein, and only after having shown strength both of character in the Shield and of arms in the Lance. Wisdom and Justice, Prudence and Moderation, Compassion tempered with Fearless Valor, and Outstanding Morality, these are the least of the requirements. The majority of this order are therefore rightfully often those who have heard the calling of the paladin, and those who have at one point or another been officers in the Knighthood�but even as others join this Order, it was at one time akin to being reborn into a Knighthood anew.
In the Vision, it was written that those who had attained success in the lessons of character, healing, and virtue within the Shield as well as courage, might, and strength at arms in the Lance could in fact petition to join the Third division of Knighthood, the Crown Knights of Austinian. To do so was not a task undertaken lightly in those days for a great burden was placed upon all those who chose to take this path of moderation. One could not look to one side or the other, but had to instead consider both as they tread upon the ground Austinian had claimed for his Keep. This path was one of constant vigilance and endless trial and learning, and to begin upon it one had to first submit themselves before the Council of the Rose
The Council of the Rose would hold a special session for any Knight so applying for entrance into the Crown so momentous an occasion it was considered. These would be called at any time rather than the monthly Councils that the other Knighthoods and ceremonies had to wait for. So serious was the consideration of one who had put him or herself forth for entrance into the Crown that one would have to wait for the passing of 6 Councils had passed before being allowed to resubmit himself for acceptance into the Crown should he or she be proven unfit at the time of the initial application. However should the Knight be found worthy of this honor, a great feast would be held ending with the Applicant to the Crown fasting for a full 24 hours after this last feast, spending the day in prayer in the chapel, cleansing himself for this last and most honorable stage of Knighthood. Upon the sunrise following the day of fasting, the Ceremony for Induction into the Most Holy Order of the Crown Knights of Austinian would commence, with blessings being offered by each the High Warrior, High Clerist, and High Justice. Once the ceremony was complete the Aspirant to the Crown would be ranked as a Knight of the Crown and be given the title of Novice of the Crown.
The Novice of the Crown is literally a reborn Knight. He or she strives to acquire the wisdom to recognize justice and act honorably at the same time. An initiate on the road to enlightenment, he or she would dress most humbly as if a squire, wearing only a plain white tunic over his armor, the only ornament on the tunic a simple badge displaying a Crown. Upon consideration by the Council of the Rose, when the consensus of the Council was that the Novice of the Crown had successfully proven wisdom in acting with moderation, showing both justice and honor, the title of Novice would be lifted and the mantle of Knight of Tears was given unto the Crown Knight.
The Knight of Tears was considered the first stage to enlightenment, he or she has shown understanding that pain and suffering is not a curse, but rather a blessing of the gods of light who use it to teach piety to mortals, for only through suffering can one begin to understand healing. Only through pain can one learn the difference between good and evil, beauty and ugliness. The Knight of Tears is no longer afraid of pain and suffering, and instead uses these to gain an inner strength, determination, and fortitude. Instead of a symbol of misery, the Tears become a symbol of sacrifice, a symbol to that which the Knight would give so that others might not suffer. The badge of a Knight of Tears is a Crown, with three droplets below. Once the Crown Knight has fully shown and embraced this lesson of enlightenment, the Council of the Rose would remove the mantle of Knight of Tears and replace it with Knight of Mind.
The Knight of Mind has reached the second stage of enlightenment, recognizing that the Mind if the gift of all the gods. It is the instrument which allows the righteous and pious to know the path of virtue and honor. Mind is the light which separates good and evil, that pierces the ignorance upon which darkness and evil require to survive. Recognition of this loss of ignorance is in fact which drives the Crown Knight into a destiny of Grace as determined by Austinian, and allows for full understanding of the profound nature of good and evil. The symbol of the Knight of Mind is the Crown, over an open book. Once the Crown Knight has shown understanding of these concepts, and moves beyond fighting evil for evil�s sake into the realm of knowing that the best method of defeating evil is both to understand and expose it�s ignorance to those who would follow blindly, the Council of the Rose will remove the mantle of Knight of Mind, and instead bestow upon the Crown Knight the title of Knight of Heart.
The Knight of Heart is within the third stage of enlightenment, having learned to instinctively follow his heart, and whichever path that heart takes is the righteous and just one. More than understanding the Code by which all Knights demonstrate to be Knight of the Mind, the Knight of Heart, lives this Code because for no other reason that it is right to do so. He begins to see that Knighthood isn�t following written laws or codes places upon paper, but rather that Knighthood is living and acting within the spirit by which these Codes and Laws are written. The Knight of Heart sees that true honor lives not in the writings and stories of Tesalon Gareth and the other heroes but in the Deeds that they performed. The symbol of the Knight of Heart is a Crown, over a Heart.
At last, having traversed the lessons of the Novice, and the enlightenment learned from following the path of the Tears and of the Mind and of the Heart, all titles fall away from the Crown Knight and he is simply called a Knight of the Crown. Having reached true enlightenment and understanding that Knighthood does not live in an organization but in the self, not by words, but by deeds, he has ascended at last into the final stage of Knighthood. For no matter where this man or woman goes, he shall know that he or she is Knightly, and thus does good. For all deeds of the Knight of the Crown for so long as he or she lives by the lessons learned to attain this Honor must be good by definition. Having made this journey, the Knight can now begin to prepare himself for his greater calling, for though still one of the most feared forces on the battlefield known on Algoron, greater still is his risk to the evildoer off the field. He becomes a symbol of good, and respect. He becomes a leader of men and women, and a light by which all are drawn. Such is the calling of the Crown Knight, and few if any are more renown on Algoron. The symbol of the Knight of the Crown is a Crown on the backdrop of a Rose.
Those Knights of the Crown who prove themselves even more adept at leadership and inspiration that the average Knight of the Crown, no small feat in and by itself, can be promoted to officership within the Order of the Crown. These Knights assume the rank of Lieutenant within the Crown and go by the title of Lords and Ladies of the Crown. They assume command of a squadron of Crown Knights themselves, but often can be found commanding many Knights of Lance or Shield by nature of their calling. For though by definition, those in the Lance, Shield, and Crown are all equal, those who attain such high standing in the Crown are automatically considered the superiors and thus leaders on the field.
Furthermore, those Lords and Ladies of the Crown who continue to prove their tactical skill, moral character, and political and religious savvy, are eligible for promotion by the High Justice into the rank of Captain, and thereby assume the title of Master of Justice. These Masters often can be found commanding an entire Brigade of Knights of the Crown, often followed by many more Knights of Lance or Shield. They are proven politicians as well as most reputable soldiers, and often hold at least one nobility in the Protectorate if not more in surrounding lands by which these Captains have done well by. He is the epitome of the followings of justice and wisdom, and can be recognized by all by the symbol of a Crown, grasped in the Talons of a Gold Dragon.
Lastly, the ranks of the Crown are filled with the highest of warriors. Those who have retired from leadership itself, former Generals who have stepped down to let new blood fill the veins of Knighthood as well as often the next promising General candidates. These retired Generals and future leaders are granted the rank of Colonel of the Crown and hold the titles of Lords and Ladies of Justice. They are at least Barons of Althainia, and often hold lesser nobilities in at least one other land if not more. They are renown as great leaders of men and just and kind politicians. He embodies the ideals of good government and a man of piety and compassion for his people. A strong arm in the defense of the poor an innocent and a helping hand to those in need. These colonels can often be found applying the moral teachings of Austinian in balancing and tempering the decisions made by those geared towards defense and those focused on offense. In battle these men gain command of entire battalions, and can easily be recognized by their standards, encouraging to their men, fearful to their enemies, simple yet observable does the Silver Scale fly.
And yet as simple as the Silver Scale is, one standard does rally more men to the cause, and fly more enemies away in fear than any other. The Gold Scale, flown over the Crown standard. So rises the banner of the High Justice, leader of the entire Knighthood with the exception of the Grand Master, a position so honored that none have held it since Tesalon Gareth. In the absence of the Grand Master it is widely accepted that the High Justice is the Lord Knight. Leader of all the Knighthood and the entire Army of the Crown. The High Justice is the singular most visible and honored figure of all the Knighthood and it is said that the blessings of Austinian ride with him or her wherever they might be. The High Justice holds supreme legal standing in all matters brought before the Council of the Rose and the entire Knighthood, and though takes advice from, and theoretically is equal to both the High Warrior and High Clerist in standing, the High Justice alone has the right to yea or nay any decision brought forth to the Council. This is the pinnacle of Knighthood both in honor and responsibility and often the High Justice answers to two authorities alone�the Grand Master if there is one, and the Gods of Light themselves, although historically these answers are made to Austinian alone as the Patron of the Crown.
The lone symbol of the High Justice is a golden ring embedded with a star ruby, engraved upon its surface is the symbol of the Crown.
Historical Note:
Legends hold that when Tesalon Gareth completed his quest to form the Knighthood at the spot where the Keep of Knighthood now stands, he knelt on the ground in prayer to the Three patron gods of Knighthood. There on that very glade did a single red Rose grow, and there did Gareth decide to build his Keep when the Knighthood fled from Serpantol. He was commanded to pluck the rose and when he did so it turned to gold, and was later embossed upon a Breastplate. The Breastplate of the Rose was lost sometime after the First Cataclysm and has remained at large since. It is said that it contains the heart of the Knighthood and that he who regains the Plate would bring the Knighthood into a new era of enlightenment.